Monday, 4 September 2017

THE rift between MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai (pictured)
and his deputy, Thokozani Khupe, over their party’s involvement in the MDC
Alliance has reportedly widened, with the latter demanding that they meet at a
neutral venue outside Harare to resolve their differences to avoid another
split.

Top MDC-T sources said Khupe rebuffed “lukewarm efforts”
persuading her to attend Saturday’s MDC Alliance launch rally in Bulawayo,
where Tsvangirai, in a thinly veiled attack, accused her of plotting to divide
the country along ethnic lines.

“She (Khupe) is not backing down and has been buoyed by the
depleted numbers that attended Saturday’s rally.

“She refused to meet him (Tsvangirai) on Saturday. There
were efforts to try and persuade her to attend the rally, but these were rather
lukewarm,” a top party insider said.

“Khupe wants to talk to Tsvangirai, but has refused to come
to Harare. She has genuine fear that party thugs aligned to
Tsvangirai will attack her and her colleagues.

“Tsvangirai will have to find a way to accommodate Khupe
and her colleagues. These are not politicians you can just wish away.”

“She wants to meet in Kadoma or Nyanga, but definitely not
Harare. She will be attacked,” NewsDay heard.

Khupe, along with MDC-T national chairman, Lovemore Moyo
and party organising secretary, Abednico Bhebhe, are against Tsvangirai’s move
to forge an alliance with other opposition forces, particularly Welshman
Ncube’s MDC and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led by Tendai Biti.

Both Khupe and Moyo were unreachable for comment yesterday,
but Bhebhe said: “I am attending to my studies and was not at yesterday’s
(Saturday’s) rally.

“There have always been efforts to resolve the impasse, but
I am not sure of any yesterday. I cannot speak on behalf of others, but we are
willing to talk.”

Tsvangirai’s spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka was not
available for comment yesterday and party spokesperson, Obert Gutu was not
forthcoming on the issue.

“These are issues being dealt with by the president and he
has a spokesperson. It would be improper for me to comment,” Gutu said.

Tsvangirai, in his address to supporters in Bulawayo,
warned against ethnic politicking.

The MDC-T leader accused President Robert Mugabe, who is
accused of orchestrating the Gukurahundi atrocities that left more than 20 000
civilians dead, of failing to build “an inclusive country”. Newsday